Treatment of fruit and vegetable juices



Oct. 19, 1943. R, B, MclqNNls A 2,332,098 I n TREATMENT oF FRUIT Aim V'EGETTBLE JuIcEs Y Y orginl Filed oct. 7,1939 8 sheets-sheet 2 NF/a3.

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Oct. 19, 1943. R' B. McKINNls y2,319,098

TREATMENT OFr FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICES v original Filed oct. 7, 1939 8 sk letS-Shee 3 I y y Oct. 19, 1943. 5 a B McKlNNls TRATMNT 0F FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICES original Filed oci. 7. 1939 @sheets-sheet 4 R; B.. McKlNNls A TREATMENT OF FRUIT ND VEGETABLE JUICES s originaLFiled oct. v, 1959 8 sheets Sheet Oct. 19, 1943. R. B. McKlNNls 2,332,093

` vTREA'I'IV'I.' OF FRUIT AND VECTE'IABLE JUICES original Filed oct. 7. 19:59 8 Sheets-Sheet? Oct. 19, 1943. R. B. McKlNNls 2,332,098

TREATMENT OF FRUIT `AND VEGETABLE JUICES I Original Filed Oct. 7, 1939 B Sheets-Sheet '7 v Oct. 19, 1943. R. B. McKINNIs 2,332,098

TREATMENT OF FRUIT AND VEGETAZBLE JUICES Original Filed Oct. '7, 1959 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 `ILIICE FROM` CONTAINERs EXTRACTOR HEATING CONTAINERS HEATING JUICE FILLING HEATED CONTAINERS WITH STEAM FILLING HOT, STEAM FILLED` CONTAINERS WITH HEATED JUICE FROM BOTTOM OF CONTAINER,

UNDER A BLANKET OF STEAM WITHIN THE CON- TAINER, AT SUCH RATE AS TO PREVENT DISRUP- TING THE PROTECTIVE STEAM BLANKET CLOSING AND SEALING 4THE CONTAINERS Patente' a. taie 'or mi vacarme .turcas Rod B. Mics, Winter ven, Fla., assignor, by mesme assients, ,to Rcnaidl. bien 1 nis, doing business as Moe Haven, Fia;

1940, Seriali No. 339,546

l @Cla My invention relates to a method and apparatus for extracting fruit and vegetable juices.

It is particularly applicable to the extraction of juice from citrous -fruits, but has application to other fruits, as well as vegetables.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No, 298,464, filed October '7, 1939.

An object` of my invention is to provide an extracting process which is simple, eiiicient in operation, and which will produce an extracted juice wherein the vitamin and :davor contents are retained after canning for a considerable period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide y an apparatus which is simple to construct, eas'y construction, and which is completely elcient in barring the access of oxygen to the extraction chamber.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor which will center the fruit delivered so that it will be delivered in the proper position for action of the cutting knives in the extraction chamber.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an output conveyor which is simple in construction, positive in operation, and which will prevent access of oxygen to the juice in the extracting chamber. V

Further objects are to provide eiilcient processes for extraction of Juice from vegetables and fruits, such as citrous fruits, and also for lling cans and other., containers with these juices so that objectionable oxidation of the juices is prevented.

With these and other objects in view, which may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements comprising my invention may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangements, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

4In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect without limiting' the improvements in their useful applications to the particular con- 1 .l s Foods, Winter mi application @ctobcr 7, 1939, Serial No. ZSSASQ. Divided and this application lianes,

structions which, for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents my apparatus in side elevation, some of the parts being shown in dotted lines to more clearly indicate the construction;-

Fig. 2v is a detail longitudinal sectional view` A taken through thelower part of the elevating conveyor;

Fig. 3 is a view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction oi the arrows;

Fig, 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the construction at the upper end of the elevating conveyor;

Fig. 6 is a view taken along'the line 6-'6 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a view taken along the line 1`l of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a view .taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 9 is a view taken along'the line 9--9 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is ya view taken along the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 11 is a View taken along the line lI-ll of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view showing the peel discharge chute with the removable closure in place;

Fig. 13 is a detail sectional vieW` showing the peel discharge conveyor, some of the parts being broken away to'more clearly indicate theV construction;

Fig. 14 ls a-view taken along the line lll-ls of desired type. I have shown in the drawings that the conveyor is of the endless type and comprises two sprocket chains 4 and 5. The conveyor tubes I and 2 are joined at their lower ends `by a return section of tubing 6 which is suitably attached, as indicated at 8, to the tubes I and 2.

At its upper end the tube 2 passes vinto a chanlber 9 which projects downwardly from the tube 2.

'I'he chamber 8 is joined, as indicated at III, to a downward extension II o1' the tube I.

'I'he chains 4 and 5 of the endless conveyor 3 pass over a sprocket I2 in the return section 8 of the conveyor tube. They also pass over sprockets I 8 mounted in the section II of the tube I, thence pass downwardly over sprockets I4 located in the extension 9 of the tube. From thence the conveyor passes over a sprocket construction I5.

The tube I is provided with an assembly hatch I8 and a hopper or feeding hatch I1. The tube 2 is provided with a discharge chute I8 which is adapted to discharge into the extracting mechanism indicated generally by the letter B. It also y has an assembly hatch I9. The chamber 9 is provided with an assembly hatch 20. The conveyor can be tightened by the usual screw-tightening construction, indicated generally bythe numeral 2|, which is adapted to move the sprocket mechanism I3 either in an upward or downward direction to tighten the sprocket chains 4 and 5 of the conveyor.

The conveyor 3 is driven by means of the sprocket I4' through a chain drive 22 which passes over a drive sprocket 23 carried by a counter shaft 24 driven by a drive pulley 24', which in turn is driven by a belt drive 25 from a source of power (not shown) The conveyor chains 4 and 5 carry, at spaced intervals, conveyor nights 26 which comprise slats 21 which carry upstanding ngers 28. Each slat 21 carries three pairs of the upstanding ngers 28. Each pair of ngers 28 comprises two iingers which are slanted inwardly towards each other so that the orange or other round object will be forced into a centered position within the ngers. This is important as it enables the oranges to be held in a proper position for proper feeding into theextracting mechanism. The cutting knives and the extracting mechanism -in the extracting chamber are not shown, they may be of any of several known types on the market, such as the so-called Faulds vrotary juice extractor. This construction forms no part of the present invention.

. The slats 21 for the conveyor flights are adapted to slide on tracks 30 in their movement through the conveyor housing comprising the two tubes I and 2.

As has been indicated, there are three sets of pairs of fingers which operate to hold the fruit in its passage on the conveyor. This arrangement is for the purpose of delivering three columns of fruit into the extracting chamber B. There are partitions 3l which divide the interior of the conveyor into three compartments. The fruit is delivered in the delivery hopper I1 in tube I by means of a chute 32 to which fruit is fed by av conveyor, indicated generally by the numeral 33, driven in synchronism with the conveyor 3 by a drive chain 34, which in turn is driven by a sprocket member 35 mounted on a shaft 38, which carries the sprockets I2. Thus the fruit delivered through the hopper I1 falls into the three rows above described, and occupies a position on the ngers 28 such as is indicated in Figure 8.

The motion of the conveyor is as indicated by arrows in Fig. 1, and the fruit falls into a liquid gas seal 31 formed by water lying in the lower end of the conveyor A (see Figs. 1 and 2). The fruit rests on the pairs of iingers 28 in the positionv indicated in the top row in Figs. 2 and 8, until the fruit passes into the water seal 31, where it is carried through by the conveyor 3, as indicated assaoae y J /in Fig. 2. After passing through the seal it is picked up by the pairs of lingers 28 and from then on occupies a position in the angle formed by the ilngers 28, as indicated in Fig. 2, and in dotted lines in Fig. 9.

The fruit passes from the input chute AI1 down the tube I, through the return section 3 up through the tube 2, and is delivered into input chute I8 which delivers into the extracting section B oi' the mechanism. In Fig. 9 I have indi cated the fruit leaving the lingers' (see top row) and passing into trough sections 38 within the delivery chute I8. From thence, as previously described, the fruit passes to the cutting knives and to the extracting mechanism, which is not shown and which lies within the extracting section B of the mechanism. 'I'his extracting mechanism' is driven by operating gears 39, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which are in turn driven by a gear wheel 40, shown partially in dotted lines, which is driven by a sprocket 4I through a chain 42 which passes ovex` a sprocket 4I on the coun-I ter-shaft 24.

The arrangement is such in the delivery conveyor construction, indicated generally by the numeral A, that when the assembly hatches I8, I9 and 20 are closed, the input hopper I1 closed by a closure plate 43 which can be bolted in piace, then the whole input conveyor assembly can be iilled with water or inert gas, as will be later described.

The extracting section B of the mechanism is likewise liquid and gas-tight. The section 8 which projects downwardly from the conveyor tubing 2 provides a liquid seal 44, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 1. The liquid seal 31 at the lower end of the input conveyor A has a water inlet pipe 45 and a water outlet pipe 46 with suitable valves therein (not shown). The liquid seal 44 has a water outlet pipe 41, and a water inlet pipe 48.

Leading outwardly and downwardly from the extracting section B of my device are peel discharge chutes 50, in the sides of which are clean out hatches 5I. Each chute 50 has a delivery end 52 which is adapted to lie below the water level 53 in vats 54 (see Fig. 14). Each vat 54 is connected at its side 55 with a trough construction 56 in which are adapted to travel nights 51 of the output conveyor mechanism C.

By having the delivery chutes deliver the peels from the extracting chamber B below water or liquid level, access of oxygen to the extracting mechanism and the extracted juices is prevented. 'I'he whole mechanism is adapted to be iilled with inert gas, such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen, to prevent oxidation of the extracted juices at any time either during extraction or after extraction. The purpose of the construction is to prevent access of oxygen at any time to the juice from the disruption of the fruit until the juices are delivered and sealed in the containers.

In order to prevent clogging of the output end of the peel chutes 50, I have provided agitating means in the vats 54 to disturb the liquid adjacent the discharge ends of the chutes 50. 'I'he form of mechanism I have shown for accomplishing this agitation is indicated in Fig. 14 where I have shown an oscillating paddle member 58 mounted on a shaft 59 supported by the top of the vat 54. An operating arm 60 is pivoted at 6I to the paddle 58, and is driven through a reduction gear 63 by an eccentric cam construction, indicated generally by the numeral 82, which is mounted on a shaft 63 'that is driven by a belt @d from a pulley S which `is mounted on a drive shaft t5. The drive shaft 65 derives its power through a sprocket 61 that is driven by a sprocket chain B8 which passes over a sprocket F' on the vcounter-shaft 2li. f'

llhe shaft 63 likewisedrives a paddle 59 in the direction indicated bythe arrow which moves the peels which are now iloating on the water in this discharge liquid seal, indicated generally by the numeral 15, in towards the trough 5S so that the peels can be engaged by the conveyor flights 5l and discharged, as will later be indicated. The oscillation of the paddle 53 prevents clogging of the lower end of the peel dischargechute 52.

The conveyor nights lare moved on the Iiexible endless conveyor li, which passes along upper guides 12 and lower guides 13.

Theexible conveyor 1i comprises two sprock- `et chain members 15, which pass over sprockets l5 mounted on a shaft 16 which is adjustable longitudinally bymeans of a screw-threaded adjusting mechanism l1, indicated generally. This mechanism enables the flexible conveyor 1I to be tightened. are Llp-turned, as indicated in Fig. 13. The peels drop out along the discharge surface 18 of a discharge chute. The conveyor 1I is driven by means of sprocket drives' 19, which are in turn driven by the sprocket 61 mounted on the shaft .56. The sprocket ,61 is driven by the sprocket chain 68, as previously described.

Each of the discharge chutes 50 is adapted to have its lower end 52 enclosed by removable closure members 80 which are held in place by means of bolts 8| which pass through'the closure members 80 and through anges 82 formed on the lower end of the peelv discharge chutes 50. This arrangement is such that water can be retained in the system prior to beginning the extracting operation, as will be later described. The removable closures 80 are adapted to be removed when the extracting operation proper has been commenced.

I have provided a gas inlet |00 controlled by a suitable valve (not shown) for introducing an inert gas into the interior of Ithe input conveyor,

Vthe extracting mechanism B and the peel discharge chute. VThe extracting mechanism B is provided with a bottom which slopes towards the center, as indicated at IUI, into which the juice is discharged through a collection pipe |02, from whence the juice may be taken to the lling operation for lling containers with the extracted juice.

In order to remove all of the oxygen, in the apparatus at the start of the operation, I flll the interior of the apparatus with water. I close all of the assembly hatches and the input hatch l1 through which the oranges or other fruit or vegetables to be extracted are fed to the machine, and the discharge ends of the chutes 50. With all of these hatches closed, water can be introduced through the water inlet pipe 45 in the machine is lled with water and gas can be introduced through the gas line M10. 'I'his gas One end of the guides 12 and 13 ,l

v I8 to the cutting and extracting mechanism in.V

liquid seal 31, or through water inlet 48 in the liquid seal 44. It is to be understood that the valves in the outlet pipes 46 and 41 are closed to prevent egress of water or other uid which may be used for the machine. Water is then allowed to iiow into the apparatus and lill it. That is to say, the input conveyor A is illled with water;' the downwardly projecting section 9 of the input conveyor is iiiled with water; the extracting section B is lled, and the peel output ducts 50 are iilled. Likewise the v'ats 54 and the trough 56 are filled with water. Now the whole may be carbon dioxide, or nitrogen, or a mixture of both, or other suitable inert gas whichwill prevent oxidation of the extracted juice. Water is let out of the machine as the gas fills the machine. Th'e'liquid seals 5j and at the upper and lower ends of the Aelevating conveyor are of course kept illled with liquid. Likewise the vats 54 `and trough 55 are kept lled with water. Now the entire interior of the machine is filled with a non-oxidizing or inert gas. Closure plate 43 of the feeding hopper to the elevating conveyor is removed. The closure platesil for thebottom of each of the discharge chutes 50 are also removed.

Oranges, or other citrous fruit, are fed bythe conveyor 3d into the chute 5t and into the input hopper Il of the elevating conveyor A. All three of the sections of the elevating conveyor are filled, and the nights of the conveyor cause the fruit to pass down through the water seal 31, from whence they are conducted upwardly, as indicatedv by the arrow in Fig. 1, and three rows of fruit lare dumped into the hopper I8 that feeds the slicing and juice extracting mechanism, the rows of fruit rolling downwardly in the troughs of sections 38 of the input hopper section B of the machine. Each of the fruit is halved by cutting knives (not shown), and the juice is extracted by mechanism (not shown), the juice owing to the sloping oor IUI of the extracting section B of the machine, from whence it can be allowed to flow out to iill receptacles.

In lling receptacles, itis generally desirable to ll the receptacle from the bottom up in order 'to prevent access of oxygen to the cans or other receptacles. 'I'he cans are treated with steam to heat them and iill them with steam, thereby displacing air. The cans are iilled from the bottom and a layer of steam on the rising juice prevents access of oxygen to the juice. The filling process is illustrated in the flow sheet Fig. 15. The iilling is slow enough to substantially prevent turbulence and therefore prevent any incorporation of air into the juice. This bottom lling and substantial prevention of turbulence I iind of great importance. I subject the juice to pasteurizing temperatures prior to its introduction in the cans and may continue the pasteurizing temperature for a desirable length of time after the cans have been sealed, if desired. The particular form of pasteurization forms no part of the present disclosure.

This filling process is conducted so` that the temperature of the steam, the temperature of the can, and the temperature oi.' the citrous juice or other liquid introduced inthe bottom of the can is such as to prevent any substantial condensation ofthe steam during the filling operation. Moreover, as explained above, there is a layer of steam on the surface of the rising juice in the can, which layer is not disturbed by the turbulence of the juice, and acts as a blanket or buiIer to prevent access of the oxygen of the air to the juice. l

The peels fall out of the extraction section B of the machine through discharge chutes 50, and are discharged through the ends 52 of the discharge chutes 50 under the surface of the water in the vats 54. The paddles 58 adjacent the discharge ends 52 of the discharge chutes 50 keep the,peels from clogging by keeping the water in motion. The paddles 69 move the iloa'ting fruit peels from each of the vats I4 over into the trough Il. The nights l1 oi.' the discharge conveyor C engage the fruit peels and discharge them over the sloping discharge chute surface 1B to a vat or another conveying trough, as desired.

It is t'o be .noted that no oxygen can con'- tact the fruit or the iuice mits passage through the machine from the time the fruit enters through the liquid seal 31 of the elevating conveyor A until the extracting operation is oompleted. Access of oxygen is prevented through operation of' the liquid seals I4 and 31 atvthe top and bottom oi' the elevating conveyor A, and likewise the liquid seals formed at the bottom of the peel discharge chutes l prevent access of oxygen into the extracting chamber B.

Further it -will ,-be observed that the peel discharge mechanism is eillcient and easy of access for hand cleaning if necessary, and the peels are given constant motion as they go from the extracting section through the water seal and into the discharge conveyor, thus preventing their clogging.

Further the delivery conveyor' mechanismv forms not only a conveyor, but a water seal, the conveyor having water seals at both top and bottom. The conveyor itself comprises a double duct, one half of which is sealed from the atmosphere, the other half of which being open to the atmosphere. The ilights on the conveyor belt and the conveyor construction are such as to center the fruits in position with respect to the cutting and squeezing mechanism. Diil'erent sizes of the fruit are held centered and thus the 'mechanism does not have to operate on a uniform sire of fruit. It is to be noted that the duct sections 38 of the input duct Il to the extracting mechanism B have a sloping bottom, which holds the fruits centered (see Fig. 9.)

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth by way oi' illustration, as it is apparent of inert gas. spacing the fruit in a plurality of columns, discharging the columns of spaced whole fruit into an extracting zone, and extracting the juice from the fruit in the atmosphere oi.' inert gas to prevent oxidation of the juice. 2. `A method of extracting juice from citrus fruits comprising the steps of passing the whole fruit through a liquid seal into a zone of inert gas, spacing the fruit in a plurality of columns, discharging the columns of spaced fruit into an extracting zone. extracting the juice from the fruit in the presence of inert gas to prevent oxidation of the juice, and discharging the peels throughl a liquid seal.

3. A'method of extracting juice from citrus fruit comprising the steps of passing the whole fruit through a liquid seal into a zone of inert gas, spacing the fruit in a plurality of columns, discharging the columns of spaced fruit into an extracting zone, extracting the juice from the fruit in the extracting zone in the presence of an inert gas to prevent access of oxygen to the juice, discharging the peels from the extracting zone through a liquid seal, and introducing the extracted juice into a container under non-oxidizing conditions.

4. A method of extracting juice from citrus fruits comprising the steps of passing the whole fruit through a liquid seal into a zone of inert gas, spacing the fruit in a plurality of columns, discharging the columns of spaced fruit into an extracting zone, extracting the juice from the fruit in the presence of inert gas to prevent oxidation of the `iuice, and discharging the peels through a liquid seal while agitating the liquid in the discharge seal and thereby inhibit clogging of said discharge seal by the peels.

RONALD B. MCKINNIS. 

